Toward a perceptually-relevant theory of appearance

Two approaches are commonly employed in Computer Graphics for the design of object appearance. A full 3D environment may be created then rendered using a simulation of light transport; or 2D digital drawing tools may be provided to an artist, whom with enough talent and time will be able to create images of objects having the desired appearance.

I am interested in a third approach, whereby pictorial elements of appearance are explicitly manipulated by an artist. On the one side, such an alternative approach offers a direct control over appearance, with novel applications in vector drawing, scientific illustration, special effects and video games. On the other side, it provides a modern method for putting our current knowledge of the perception of appearance to the test, as well as to suggest new models for human vision along the way.

Learn more: for a detailed desciption of the main projects I’ve been involved in from 2007 to 2017, along with perspectives for future work, you may consult my HDR document.

Latest additions

New paper: a BRDF model tailored to the manipulation of hazy gloss, published at EGSR and awarded best paper/presentation.